The Days That Follow
by kirauza343
Summary: With the loss of its leaders and the threat of outsiders finding the town Storybrooke struggles to hold itself together. A new leader comes in the form of a brave young woman, but can Belle unite citizens of Storybrooke while dealing with her own problems? Set in the aftermath of the season 2 finale, focused on the Storybrooke side of events.
1. Chapter 1

**Just a little project for the summer, set after the events of the season 2 finale. This will show just the Storybrooke side of events; no Enchanted Forest or Neverland. I may eventually do a companion to this story that tells those events, but for now it's just Storybrooke. Each day will be a chapter, unless I have a really long day that I split into two chapters. Now that the boring part's done I hope you enjoy!**

_Day 0_

Belle refused to look back as she left the docks. She had a job to do, one vital to Storybrooke's survival. Quickening her pace, Belle unfurled the note Rumplestiltskin gave her while trying to hold herself together. She sat down on a nearby bench and quickly read over the instructions.

_Dearest Belle,_

_If you are reading this then something has gone horribly wrong and Storybrooke is in danger. The ink of this letter contains a powerful enchantment, one that will prevent Storybrooke from being found by anyone. To activate the spell, toss this note into the well, the one where I brought magic to this world. I trust you remember the path. If you need assistance, I reluctantly suggest asking the Blue Fairy, Mother Superior, for aid. Without myself present, she is the most likely to be capable of assisting you._

_I would like to apologize for everything. I'm not the man you deserve and yet you still manage to love me. You are a brave, beautiful woman and I am certain you will keep the town safe. I am very fortunate to have met you and perhaps we will meet again someday. If we do not, please know that I love you. Stay safe and stay brave._

_Love,_

_R_

Belle felt tears well up in her eyes but she quickly shook them off. "No, I have a job to do," she said resolutely. Belle folded up the letter and swiftly made her way to Storybrooke's forest. She refused to think of anything else but the task at hand as she journeyed to the well, the very well she regained her memories by the first time. Blocking out the memory, Belle took one last look at the letter before tossing it into the well. A greenish mist immediately filled the air, spreading outward and upward until it settled in an almost dome shape until the color faded.

"Simple enough," Belle said to herself. She made her way to town to see the extent of the damage the trigger created and was fully prepared for the chaos that met her. Belle hadn't even had the chance to get a good look around when she was surrounded by several people.

"Belle, have you seen Snow and Charming?" Leroy asked, and Belle deduced that the others must be the rest of the dwarves.

"I have, but we probably need to gather the town. I don't want to explain this more than once," Belle said calmly. Leroy smiled.

"We'll take care of that. Meet us at town hall," Leroy said. "It's good to have you back Belle," he added as they left. Belle smiled. _It's nice to be back_ she thought. She made her way to town hall, surveying the damage as she went. The damage was less severe than Belle expected, with only the library suffering major damages. It didn't take long for everyone to gather in town hall. Belle cleared her throat as the noise died down.

"I know most of you are wondering what's going on," Belle started tentatively. _Be brave,_ she thought. "After Regina and Emma saved Storybrooke Henry was kidnapped by Greg and Tamara. They used a magic bean and are no longer in Storybrooke. Regina, Emma, Snow, David, Hook, and Rumplestiltskin took another bean and went after them on Hook's ship. The green mist you saw earlier is a cloaking spell, one that will keep outsiders out of Storybrooke," Belle explained.

"You mean Snow and James are gone?!" someone asked and Belle could detect the brewing panic.

"Yes, but they will be back. We can and will take care of the town until then," Belle said hastily.

"I know everyone here wants somebody to follow, a leader. So, while we're here, does anyone want to take on that responsibility?" Leroy asked. The room went silent until an unlikely voice spoke up.

"I would like to nominate Belle," the voice, coming from Archie, said. He sounded completely sincere but Belle was completely shocked by his suggestion.

"No, I couldn't," Belle protested, shaking her head.

"Sure you could. You are probably the bravest person here; you faced a pirate ship and found me when everyone else thought I was dead. Without Snow and David, we need someone brave to unite us. Someone brave like you," Archie said with a smile.

"Honestly, I hardly know what's going on myself. I've spent most of my recent life either locked up or without my memories. I don't even know who most of you are," Belle argued.

"Learning names is easy. Learning to be brave is harder," Archie pointed out.

"I second Archie's nomination," Leroy said with a grin.

"All in favor of voting Belle as temporary mayor say aye," Granny said, joining Belle up front. She was answered with a thunderous agreement. "Any opposed?" she asked, this time getting silence. "Well honey I think that settles it. Congratulations Madame Mayor," Granny said with a smile, patting a shocked Belle on the back.

"We'll get you filled in. You've got a lot of work ahead of you tomorrow," Leroy said, joining Granny. Belle took a deep breath and summoned her courage.

"All right. What have I missed?" Belle asked.

After the end of the long day, Belle realized she wasn't sure where she would sleep. The library and her apartment in it had been almost completely destroyed in the day's events. Belle had a key to her True Love's house, but she didn't want to sleep there tonight. She wasn't sure she'd be able to sleep at all in that house. That left Belle with one option: Granny's. She made her way back the diner.

"Back so soon, Madame Mayor?" Ruby asked with a playful smile. Belle managed a small laugh.

"I'm here to rent a room. My home's above the library so I don't think it's in one piece," Belle admitted.

"Don't you have a key to Gold's place?" Ruby asked, frowning.

"I do, but I really don't want to stay there tonight. Tomorrow is going to be hectic and I need to get some sleep, and that won't happen if I go there," Belle confessed. Ruby nodded understandingly.

"All right, let's get you a room," Ruby said, showing her to it. "Have a good night," she said, giving her friend a quick, supportive squeeze before leaving her alone. Belle took a look out the window and suddenly all of the day's events hit her, from regaining her memory to being voted temporary mayor. She knew she wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight so Belle lay on the bed and tried to figure out what needed to be done.

And so the day came to a close...

**Reviews are greatly appreciated! Next time, Mayor French gets to work!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Day 1_

Belle was up with sun, feeling exhausted. She realized she would need to stop by the library to pick up some more clothes as Belle dressed for the day. Belle was thankful to be in something more modest than her recent attire as she walked downstairs to the diner for breakfast.

"Did you get any sleep last night girl?" Granny asked, noticing how tired Belle looked. The beauty thought it over for a moment.

"I think I got a few hours," she said shrugging. "I could really use some iced tea right now, Granny," Belle said with a smile.

"Coming right up. I'll get you some pancakes as well; we can't have our fearless leader starving," Granny joked. Belle laughed.

"Well thank you," Belle said as Granny handed her her iced tea.

"Well, well, if it isn't our Madame Mayor," a voice said as the door swung open. "Good morning," the blond male greeted.

"Good morning Doctor Whale," Belle greeted politely. "I'm terribly sorry for what happened," she apologized. She was being vague, but Whale knew exactly what she was talking about.

"I'm just glad you're back. Gold's much pleasanter when you're you," Whale said with a chuckle.

"Are you two talking about Lacey?" Granny said, setting the plate of pancakes in front of Belle. "Because she was very...interesting," Granny said, changing her last word at the last second to spare Belle. "How much do you remember about her?" Granny asked, curious. Belle grimaced.

"I remember everything," she admitted with a shudder. Granny and Whale looked at her sympathetically. "Anyway, I'd rather not talk about. We have more important things to worry about than my horrid alter ego," Belle said dismissively. As she at her breakfast Ruby popped in and began working.

"Good morning Belle," Ruby said with a smile.

"Hey Ruby. I need a favor," Belle said, a smile on her face.

"Sure, anything," Ruby said, curious as to what the beauty could want.

"You remember what I told everyone about cloaking spell right? Well, I don't know how long the spell will last or how effective it will be so I need you to start organizing a patrol of the boarders. We also need to have someone at the docks and at the well at all times. That should be all the places that anyone can enter town from magically or normally," Belle said and Ruby thought it over.

"I can do that. I'll get it set up as soon as possible Madame Mayor," Ruby said, impressed by the thought she could tell Belle had put into this.

"Thank you. And if you see Leroy, Mother Superior, or Archie before I do send them my way please," Belle said.

"I'll do that. You heard her Granny, I have some work to do. I'll see you later," Ruby said with a smile. She kissed her Granny on cheek before heading out.

"You're taking this mayor thing pretty seriously," Granny noted.

"I couldn't sleep last night so I tried to figure out the best way to take care of this town. My two biggest priorities are finding Rumplestiltskin and the others and keeping Storybrooke safe," Belle said.

"We all want the same thing. If you need anything at all we will gladly help," Granny said smiling.

"Thank you," Belle said earnestly. She paid for her meal and headed straight to the mayor's office and found several people waiting for her.

"Reporting for duty," Leroy said grinning. Belle giggled.

"All right. I have important jobs for each of you. Leroy, I want you to take Anton and the dwarves to the bean field to see if you can manage to find any beans that survived. We'll need them to get back to our world and to find the others. If you can't find any beans, see if there is any way you can start a new harvest," Belle began.

"You got it sister," Leroy said, grabbing the dwarves who were already there. They disappeared and Belle faced the remaining volunteers.

"Archie, I would like for you to go around and get information on everyone. Preferably the person's name in both worlds and their relations. I know there are probably families that haven't found each other and I believe this will help us get to know each other better. Does that sound all right?" Belle asked, knowing the psychiatrist would know if it was a good idea or not.

"I think it's a good idea; I'll start right away," Archie said smiling.

"And if you don't mind, I would love it if you would off your therapeutic services. Recent events have been very stressful, but I completely understand if you would rather not," Belle said.

"No, I think it's a great idea," Archie said, his smile widening. He liked the idea of being able to help the townsfolk.

"Thank you," Belle said smiling as Archie departed. "The rest of you can either report to Ruby to form patrols or help restore the damaged buildings. Thank you for showing up and if you have any questions about anything feel free to ask," Belle said, and with that the rest of her volunteers got to work.

Belle made her way around town, checking to make sure everything was running smoothly. Ruby already had people patrolling and some of the townsfolk were working on repairing the library. As Belle observed their work, a nun approached.

"Hello, you must be Belle. I was told you wanted to speak to me?" the nun said, and Belle realized this must be the Blue Fairy.

"Yes, Mother Superior. You are one of the only people left in Storybrooke that can use magic and Rumple had me cast a cloaking spell. I don't know how long it will last so I was hoping you would be able to help maintain it," Belle admitted. The nun appeared to focus for a moment.

"It's a very strong enchantment but it won't last forever. I suggest we strengthen it every few days," Mother Superior said.

"Thank you. If I need anything magic related I will find you," Belle said. "And I want to thank you. For the potion that restored my memory. I know you and Rumple aren't exactly friends so it means a lot to me," she said whole heartedly.

"You are a good woman. It wouldn't have been right for me to keep the potion a secret even if I didn't think highly of you. And I have to say, you bring out a light in him, one I haven't seen since he still had Baelfire," Mother Superior said, reflecting on the past.

"Thank you all the same," Belle said.

"Is there anything else you need?" Mother Superior asked.

"No, I think I've found everyone I need. If anyone comes searching for me I will be helping here at the library," Belle said, joining the workers at the library.

At the end of the day Belle made her way to the pawnshop to grab several things. She was happy to find that no one had entered and taken anything. Belle's chipped cup and Baelfire's shawl still lay on the counter, and Belle quickly scooped them into her arms. Taking on last look around, Belle left and made the trip to Gold's house, believing it was a safer place than the pawnshop. She left the objects in their -his she mentally corrected - bedroom. With a bag in hand Belle searched through the closet for some clothes and grabbed some other objects she may need. Locking the door on the way out, Belle made her way back to Granny's but not before almost running into Keith.

"I'm terribly sorry," Belle said before she realized who it was. The man in question froze before running off. As Belle continued the walk to the diner she couldn't help but play the night of her date with Rumplestiltskin over and over. What horrified Belle most was not the beating itself but the fact that part of her, even now, was almost turned on by the memory. Belle quickened her pace and tried not to think about it.

Belle closed the door to her room and placed her bag on the floor. A quick glance in the mirror showed Belle the bags beneath her eyes but Belle knew she wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. For the first time since her memories were restored, Belle found herself thinking over the events that occurred as Lacey. Sleep would not come to Belle tonight.

And so another day came to a close...

**Next time, find out the results of each person's mission!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Day 2_

Belle yawned as she got ready for another day in Storybrooke. Dressed in clothes as unLacey-like as possible Belle made her way into the diner for business and breakfast. Ruby saw her first.

"Good morning," Ruby said happily.

"Good morning Ruby. How did yesterday go? Were you able to set up patrols?" Belle asked, starting to feel more awake with a sip of the iced tea Ruby handed her.

"Yeah, and it wasn't too hard either. The night shifts gave me a little trouble but I was able to find people for almost every time. I have a few times still open, but I'll find someone for them today," Ruby said, pulling out a sheet of paper will all the routes and times.

"Wow, this is incredible," Belle said smiling, glad she put Ruby in charge of it. "You know what? Sign me up for sunset at the docks," Belle said, noticing it was one of the empty slots. Most of the spaces that were yet to be filled were at the dock or the well, which weren't as big of a priority.

"Are you sure? You look like you could use some sleep," Ruby noted.

"Hey, you need volunteers don't you? I want to help," Belle said.

"And you are. This whole thing is your idea. The rest of the town is going to keep you busy enough without you taking on extra work," Ruby pointed out.

"I'll be fine. Sign me up," Belle said as she headed out the door. It didn't take long to get to the mayor's office, the place that was becoming a temporary base of operations. Leroy was waiting with a grin on his face. "You found some beans?" Belle asked hopefully.

"We found some seeds. Tiny thinks we'll be able to grow some more without any problems," Leroy announced. Belle's face lit up.

"That's wonderful!" Belle said, unable to contain her excitement. She was aware that it may take a while for the beans to grow, but the news was good none the less.

"We start planting today, but I thought you would want to hear the news first," Leroy said and Belle thought for a moment.

"I would like to ask that you try to keep at least one person at the field at all times. We don't want a repeat of what happened with the last batch," Belle suggested.

"Sure thing sister," Leroy said as he left. Belle didn't even wait a minute before Archie appeared.

"Madame Mayor," Archie greeted pleasantly.

"Good morning Archie. How is it coming along?" Belle asked, eager for more good news.

"Rather well. Everyone's been very cooperative. I should be able to finish it today," Archie announced and Belle smiled.

"So everything's going smoothly. That's a relief," she said with a pleasant sigh. "I would like to make a request. If you talk to anyone could you let them know that Ruby needs more volunteers for patrols? She has a good number already, but I don't want to overwork them," Belle explained.

"I would be honored to. With any luck I will have everyone's information tomorrow," Archie said as he disappeared.

The rest of the day went smoothly, with the remaining patrols being formed and the buildings almost fully repaired. At the end of the day, Belle headed to the docks to stand watch in case someone found their way to Storybrooke. She found a familiar man and a little girl waiting and watching the sun set. The man turned to face Belle and grinned.

"Can I help you Belle?" he asked in a friendly manner. Belle smiled, recognizing him as the man who freed her.

"I'm just here for my shift," she said smiling. "I don't know if I ever thanked you for getting me out of that cell," Belle added.

"Don't worry about it. My name's Jefferson, and this is my daughter, Grace," Jefferson said.

"Nice to meet you," Grace said smiling.

"Well, I hope you two have a good night," Belle said pleasantly.

"Goodnight Madame Mayor," Jefferson said as he and Grace left. Belle turned her attention to horizon as she sat at the edge of the pier. She wanted nothing more than to see the pirate ship appear from nowhere. Belle had hoped they would only be gone a day or so but she knew a week might be more realistic. She placed her shoes on the pier and let her feet dangle across the water. The weather was absolutely perfect, warm with a gentle breeze. Belle's eyes would stay locked on the water long after the sun faded, when she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Belle looked up to see Marco.

"They will return," he said, his Italian accent thick and warm smile on his face. Belle gave him a tired smile.

"I know they will," she said, standing with her shoes in one hand. "Have a good night," Belle said as she made her way to the diner. She crawled into bed, but once again sleep would not come.

And so another day came to a close...

**A short one this time, but the next one will be longer**


	4. Chapter 4

_Day 3_

"Belle...Belle!" a gentle voice called, breaking Belle out of her trance. Archie looked at her with concern.

"I'm terribly sorry," Belle apologized. Archie sighed.

"How much sleep have you gotten these past few days?" Archie asked. Belle thought for a moment.

"I think I managed to get three hours two days ago. I've been getting about two a night. Honestly, I can't sleep," Belle admitted sheepishly.

"Why?" Archie asked, slipping into therapist mode.

"Everything. Dealing with the town, the disappearance of Rumple with the others, and Lacey," Belle said, reluctantly opening up.

"Do you want to talk about Lacey?" Archie asked. He knew he couldn't do anything about the first two but decided to try and help with the Lacey problem.

"Not really," Belle admitted.

"Just remember, you aren't her. You are Belle," Archie said reassuringly.

"Did you finish gathering everyone's information?" Belle asked, eager to change the subject. She would talk to Archie about Lacey, but not today. Belle had bigger things to worry about.

"Yes, but there is one person in Storybrooke that concerns me. In our world, he was known as King George. We had a bit of trouble with him not too long ago regarding Ruby and her monthly transformations. It ended with him burning Jefferson's hat, the one object that might have let us find Emma and Snow while they were in the enchanted forest," Archie explained reluctantly. Truthfully, he wanted Belle to talk about Lacey, but he knew better than to push it.

"I remember him. We met once or twice back in the Enchanted forest, and I tried to help Ruby that night. I ended up handcuffed in the library," Belle said chuckling. "We need to pay him a visit tomorrow. I have a few errands to run today," she added.

"Try not to overwork yourself and please try to get some sleep tonight," Archie said sighing. Belle smiled.

"Are you still not sleeping?" Ruby asked as she walked into the office. Belle smiled weakly at her frown.

"I'm sleeping a little," Belle protested. "Do you need something?" she asked, wondering what the werewolf wanted.

"I just thought I'd let you know that we have patrols for all of the places you requested. We even have some people willing to help out and stand watch at the bean field," Ruby reported.

"That's wonderful. Do we know how long it will take to get a new crop?" Belle asked.

"Not yet. Anton believes it will take about a month," Ruby said, and Belle frowned.

"A month," she repeated, thinking it over. A month might be too late for the others. "All right. Thank you," Belle said, looking at the clock. It was almost time for her next visitor to be coming. Sure enough, Mother Superior walked in through the door.

"We'll get back to work," Ruby said as she and Archie walked out.

"Good morning Belle," Mother Superior greeted politely.

"Good morning Mother Superior. I have a few things we need to discuss. First, how much longer until we need to strengthen the barrier around town?" Belle asked.

"It shows no signs of weakening at the moment. As soon as it starts fading even a little I will let you know and we shall restore it," Mother Superior said in a calm yet determined voice.

"Thank you. Now, do you know any spells that make it possible to communicate with someone in another world? We need to find a way to get in touch with the others and Anton believes we won't have beans for another month," Belle said.

"I'm afraid not. Getting to another realm is tricky enough, communication between them is near impossible. Two people recently woken from a sleeping curse can communicate between realms when their mind travels to the netherworld in their sleep, but none of them or us have been afflicted with a sleeping curse recently. I can search through my spells to see if I can find something, but I do not believe there is a way," Mother Superior admitted.

"Rumplestiltskin may have something in his shop that may aid you. Feel free to search through as much as you like, but I would like to ask to put anything back where you found it. After all, it's not my shop," Belle said, hiding her disappointment.

"I will look into it," Mother Superior said.

"Now, with what we have in this realm, only the beans will get us to another realm correct?" Belle asked, trying to find an alternative.

"There are several ways to travel between realms, but the beans work the best. Anything else that could transport people to other worlds can't be found in this world or have been destroyed," Mother Superior said, confirming Belle's suspicions.

"All right. Thank you for all your help, Mother Superior," Belle said, and the nun gave a small bow before leaving Belle in peace. Sighing, Belle stands and leaves a note on her desk, informing any visitors that she would be back soon. Belle quickly made her way to Granny's diner and ordered a hamburger and an iced tea. She began to eat her meal in silence until she was approached by a familiar blond doctor.

"So, our Madame Mayor actually does need to eat," Whale said chuckling, and Belle couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, I'm only human. I'm glad you came over here, I wanted to ask you something," Belle said, gesturing for him to sit in the seat across from her.

"Shoot," Whale said.

"Well, do you know about the basement of the hospital? Where I was locked up under the curse?" Belle asked. Whale hesitated.

"I do, but I didn't learn about it until after the curse broke," Whale admitted truthfully.

"Is there anyone else still down there? I don't know if I'm the only one Regina held captive, so if anyone else is down there it's past time they got out," Belle explained.

"I'm not sure. I assumed you were the only in there," Whale said.

"Then I guess we'll have to find out," Belle said resolutely. "After I finish my burger," she said with a smile, causing Whale to chuckle.

"Good, I wanted to eat too," Whale said as he ordered his own lunch. After the two finished, they made their way to the hospital, stopping before the entrance to the basement. Whale noticed Belle was a bit hesitant about exploring the basement.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah. I just, I don't like hospitals much. I'm sure you understand," Belle admitted with a weak laugh as Whale inputted the password and the two walked downstairs. The first door they came to had a name beside it, one Whale instantly recognized.

"Sidney Glass? I wondered what happened to him after he took the fall for Kathryn," Whale mused as he carefully opened the door. Inside, Sidney, previously asleep, woke and stared through the open door. Belle recognized him as the face she saw through Regina's mirrors when she held her prisoner.

"What are you doing here?" Sidney asked, not sure what to make of the situation.

"We're getting you out of here. I don't think you want to be stuck in here forever," Belle said calmly, taking a step in the cell.

"Where is Regina?" Sidney asked, his affections for the queen having not faded. Belle was far from oblivious to the fact.

"She's in another realm," Belle began, waiting to see his reaction before continuing.

"What?" Sidney asked, shocked.

"She went with a few of the others to another realm to save Henry. Come on, we'll explain everything," Belle said, gently leading him out of the cell. "Take care of him. I'm going to see if anyone else is locked up down here," Belle said, parting from the two men. In the end, Belle found no one else and quickly made her way out of the dreadful hospital. It was almost sunset by the time they finished with Sidney, so Belle immediately left for the docks. Jefferson stood waiting as usual, this time without Grace.

"Where's Grace?" Belle immediately asked and Jefferson turned to face her.

"She's with some friends, the family that took care of her under the curse," Jefferson explained with a shrug.

"She seems like a wonderful little girl," Belle said smiling. Jefferson grinned.

"She really is. Are you having any luck finding them?" Jefferson asked. Belle sighed.

"Not really. The beans are our only option right now, but we have to wait a month for those, and on top of that I have no idea where they are or how we could find our way back if we did manage to find them," Belle admitted. Jefferson appeared to be lost in thought.

"Well, that's too bad," he said casually. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. There's something I want to talk to you about," Jefferson said, leaving Belle alone. Belle raised an eyebrow, wondering just what he could want. Her shift at the dock passed quickly, and she returned to Granny's for another sleepless night.

And so another day came to a close…

**Next time, find out what Jefferson's up to!**


	5. Chapter 5

_Day 4_

It started off as a quiet morning until there was a knock on the door of the mayor's office. "Come in," Belle said, leaning back in her seat to get comfortable. It was Jefferson that walked through the door, and in his hand was a top hat.

"Madame Mayor," Jefferson greeted with a charming smile. "I may have a solution to your realm jumping problem. Well, part of one," he admitted. Belle immediately perked up at the possibility.

"Go on," Belle said, feeling cautiously optimistic.

"A hat that can send people between realms. The catch, of course, is that it can only send people to magical realms, so getting back here would be tricky, and the same number of people that go in must come out. That, and the fact that I haven't been able to get it to work," Jefferson said and Belle thought for a moment.

"Mother Superior might be able to help make it work. There's magic in this realm now, so we might be able find our way back here, and even if we can't bring them back this could give us a way to communicate with them," Belle said. She knew there were many 'ifs' but this had the potential to work.

"Yes, but if we can't find our way back here we could be stuck in whatever realm we visit first, and you yourself said that we don't know where they are," Jefferson pointed out. Like Belle he felt hopeful, but he also had the sense to be realistic.

"There is a lot to work out, but it could be exactly what we need. Find Mother Superior when you get the chance and see if she thinks she can get the hat to work," Belle said.

"I will. And if she gets the hat to work, I'll go with whoever goes realm jumping. I know the hat better than anyone," Jefferson said with a smile.

"Thank you, for everything," Belle said with a smile as Jefferson turned to leave. As Jefferson left Archie walked in.

"Good morning Belle," Archie said smiling.

"Good morning Archie. Are you ready to talk to George?" Belle asked, standing up.

"Yes. Do you think we should bring someone with us?" Archie asked cautiously.

"He doesn't have any magic right now, so I don't think he'll be much of a threat. Besides, the people he wants to hurt aren't even in Storybrooke right now," Belle pointed out as they made their way to Albert Spencer's house. Belle knocked on the door and their target soon opened the door.

"Can I help you?" he asked gruffly. George looked from Belle to Archie. "Is this about the information?" he asked.

"Sort of. You see, I understand that you have a history of being…troublesome to the residents of Storybrooke so I am here with a warning: if you try anything, we can and we will stick you inside of a jail cell to rot until your son gets back," Belle said, crossing her arms defiantly. George gave her a frown.

"They won't be coming back. Besides, I have no intention of causing any trouble. Like you said, my "son" isn't here at the moment," George said with a sinister smile that Belle and Archie did not like.

"The warning still stands. We will stop you if we have to, so don't give us a reason to. We have bigger things to worry about than fighting amongst ourselves, namely the possibility of outsiders finding Storybrooke," Belle said calmly.

"Consider me warned," George said before slamming the door in their faces.

"I think that went rather well," Archie said with a shaky smile.

"It could have gone worse," Belle agreed.

"What did Jefferson want?" Archie asked. Belle smiled.

"His hat serves a portal between worlds if we can get it to work. There would be a few things to work out, but if Mother Superior can fix it we would be one step closer to finding the others," she said.

"That's wonderful news. Have you checked on the library yet? I hear they've almost finished it," Archie said as they walked.

"Yeah, they said it should be finished in a few days. It will be nice to get back. I love Granny's, but the apartment's my home," Belle said.

"You're still staying at Granny's?" Archie asked, curious.

"Yeah. I have a key to Rumple's house, but I get more sleep at Granny's than I would there," Belle admitted.

"We need to talk about Lacey. It's not healthy for you to be getting so little sleep," Archie pointed out with a frown. Belle sighed.

"I promise to talk to you about Lacey tomorrow. There is still a lot to do today," Belle said hesitantly.

"I know you don't want to remember what happened while you were her, but you have to face this if you want to move on. You can't continue to ignore it," Archie said with a sigh of his own.

"I know," Belle admitted. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, I need to go to the bean field to check on things there," she said, making her way to the field. Leroy immediately saw her and approached her.

"Hey sister, what can we do for you?" Leroy asked with a grin.

"I'm just checking up on the bean field," Belle said with a smile.

"Well, the crop should be ready in about a month. I know it's a while, but it's the best we can do," Anton said as he walked up to them.

"A month is better than never. Thank you for your help on this," Belle said.

"We all want to go home eventually, and for that we need the magic beans," Leroy said. "We could always use more workers if anyone in town has nothing to do," he added.

"I'll make sure everyone knows that. Have a nice day," Belle said as she departed. The rest of the day was uneventful and Belle once again stopped by the docks at sunset.

"Hello again," Jefferson said smiling, once again waiting for Belle to relieve him of his shift.

"Hey, how did it go with Mother Superior?" Belle asked, feeling a little nervous until Jefferson's grin widened.

"She thinks she can fix it. It may take a few days, but that gives us time to figure out some of the other details," Jefferson admitted and Belle immediately hugged him.

"That's great news!" she exclaimed as she pulled away. Jefferson chuckled.

"Good night," he said as left Belle to her thoughts on the pier. With a smile, Belle sat down at the edge of the pier and watched the sun set.

"We'll find you soon," she said, feeling more hopeful than she had in days, and for the first time since she regained her memories Belle managed to get a few more hours of sleep.

And so another day came to a close…

**Next time, Belle and Archie chat about Lacey!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Day 5_

"So, tell me about Lacey," Archie said as he and Belle sat in the mayor's office.

"What do you want to know?" Belle reluctantly asked.

"Well, why is she one of the reasons you can't sleep?" Archie patiently asked. Belle sighed.

"Because even though she's gone part of me still experiences her emotions," she admitted.

"Like how?" Archie asked. Belle hesitated before answering.

"Rumple and I started our relationship while I was Lacey when I caught him beating a man with his cane. Lacey was attracted to that and, even though it horrifies me, part of me is attracted to it whenever I remember it," Belle confessed.

"Well, you were Lacey for a few days so she's bound to affect you. Most of us were not ourselves when we were cursed, but that person still affects who we are today. I suggest talking to David about it when they come home," Archie suggested.

"Why David?" Belle asked, curious.

"Like with Lacey, David Nolan was very different from Prince Charming. Where he is a loyal leader now, David Nolan was a coward who hurt the woman he loved," Archie explained.

"And he's managed to move on from that?" Belle asked.

"Yes, by learning from David Nolan's mistakes and by drawing from the few good qualities he had. Something good must have come from Lacey, but you must find out what," Archie said, offering a small smile.

"Well, Lacey understands this world's technology so I guess that's good?" Belle offered weakly.

"That's a good start. How about her personality? I know she was very different from you, but surely you can find something good about her," Archie said.

"Well, she didn't really care what anyone thought of her. And to be honest, I now understand how easy it is to give in to darkness. I have to keep reminding myself to do what is right, not easy," Belle admitted. Archie smiled.

"You spoke of Gold beating a man with his cane. Now that you're you, what do you think about that?" Archie asked. Belle sighed.

"I hate how Rumple acted when I was Lacey, but I'm more upset at myself for encouraging it. I know it was Lacey, but it was still my body, and like I said I now understand how easy it is to give in to hate. He was trying so hard to be the man I know he is, and it was sort of adorable to see him nervous on our date," Belle said, giving a small smile.

"Have you forgiven him?" Archie asked.

"We have to move past it once he gets back," Belle said, no doubt in her voice that she would see Rumplestiltskin again.

"How do you feel about staying and not going with him?" Archie asked.

"Obviously I want be with him. I know someone needed to stay behind to cast the protection spell but I know he also wanted to protect me. He doesn't think he'll see me again, but I know we will be reunited. It's one of the reasons I'm trying so hard to find a way to travel between realms," Belle admitted.

"Thank you for speaking to me. I know this can't be easy," Archie said sympathetically.

"It's nice to finally talk about it," Belle admitted.

"Have you thought about moving back into Gold's house?" Archie asked.

"No, but if my apartment above the library isn't in too bad of shape I'd like to continue living there," Belle said.

"I think that will be good for you," Archie said with a smile. Suddenly, the door burst open and Ruby stormed in, a grim look on her face.

"What happened?" Belle asked, immediately standing.

"The good news is your enchantment works. The bad news, well, you better see for yourself at the town line," Ruby said.

"Contact Mother Superior and tell her to meet us there," Belle said to Archie as she left with Ruby. They made the drive to the town line in silence. When they arrived, four cars sat on the other side, their drivers pacing the border. Sean stood by the border as Ruby and Belle joined him.

"They haven't crossed yet. I don't think they can even see us," Sean reported. Belle breathed a sigh of relief.

"They must be working with Greg and Tamara. Ruby, I know our patrols may be getting overworked, but we need to have two person shifts here at the town line. Take anyone from the other locations if you need to. This is our first priority right now," Belle said.

"Yes Madame Mayor," Ruby said, no teasing tone in her voice. She immediately pulled out her phone to make some calls. Another car pulled up behind Belle that carried Archie and Mother Superior.

"The enchantment is strong indeed," Mother Superior noted.

"Yes, but we need it to stay that way. The instant it begins to fade I need you to strengthen it. We can't let these people find Storybrooke," Belle said resolutely.

"I understand," Mother Superior.

"Sean, I will stay with you until Ruby can pull together more people. Archie, help Ruby set up the patrols. Mother Superior, do whatever you need but keep an eye on the spell. Its center is at the well," Belle said, and they went their separate ways. Sean and Belle would spend the rest of the watch in silence.

By the end of the day, no one had entered Storybrooke and things began to calm down. Belle made her way down to the docks and found Jefferson waiting as usual.

"It's been a crazy day," Jefferson noted.

"Crazy doesn't even begin to describe it. Everything is fine for now, but I think it makes everyone nervous to see them so close to finding Storybrooke," Belle said.

"The quicker we get out of here the better," Jefferson said and Belle nodded in agreement.

"Mother Superior is still working on your hat and the dwarves are growing beans. I don't like the idea of waiting a month, especially now, but we have no choice," Belle said.

"We can only hope the spell will last until then. Goodnight," Jefferson said, leaving.

"Hopefully it won't need to," Belle said to herself with a sigh, turning attention to the sea. Like every other night, nothing appeared on the horizon, but when Belle made her way to Granny's she found herself able to sleep for the first time in days.

And so another day came to a close...

**Next time, someone makes it in to town, but who and how?**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks guys for the reviews, favorites, and follows! I know I may have caused some confusion with previous chapters because I keep accidentally posting the wrong chapter. All of them are fixed at the moment, but I apologize for that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!  
**

_Day 6_

Belle woke to a desperate knock on her door. Immediately jumping to action, Belle hurried to open the door and found Granny standing there waiting for her. "What happened?" Belle asked seriously.

"Four people managed to get into town. One of them is injured, so Ruby took them to the hospital," Granny said. Belle immediately started getting dressed.

"How did the manage to get past the enchantment?" Belle asked, keeping her voice level.

"I don't know. Ruby found them by the well but hasn't told me much else. I say you should hurry there," Granny suggested. Minutes later Belle was out the door on her way to the hospital. Ruby met her at the entrance.

"Who are they?" Belle asked, fearing the worst.

"I have no idea who three of them are, but they brought someone we know. They brought Neal. He's injured, but Whale has him in surgery. He'll live," Ruby explained as they made their way to a waiting room. Belle felt a mix of joy and shock that Neal was alive, emotions only amplified when they reached the waiting room and she saw two faces she hadn't seen in years.

"Mulan! Philip!" Belle exclaimed, greeting her old friends fondly.

"You know these people?" Ruby asked, feeling relief flood through her.

"They're from our world and they're friends," Belle explained, deciding to let them introduce themselves.

"My name is Mulan. This is Prince Philip and Princess Aurora," Mulan said. At that moment, Whale walked out with a smile on his face.

"Everything went well. With any luck, Neal should be awake in a few hours," Whale said. Belle grinned.

"That's wonderful news!" she said before turning to face her friends. "How did you find him?" Belle asked.

"We found him unconscious on the beach suffering from a terrible wound. We treated him the best we could, but he told us he had to return here if he wanted to survive. We searched for a way to get him here and here we are," Philip said.

"We knew he had to be from this world when he called for an 'Emma' in his sleep. We met her before and helped her get home so it wasn't too hard to do it a second time," Aurora spoke up. Belle frowned, realizing Neal missed a lot in his absence.

"How did you manage to find this place? We have an enchantment in place to prevent it from being found," Belle explained.

"With this," Mulan said, handing Belle a small, gold medallion. Belle's face lit up.

"This let you find us," Belle said, a smile forming on her face. Mulan nodded. "Ruby, if you would please contact Mother Superior and Jefferson. I can take care of things here," Belle said. Ruby smiled.

"Sure thing, Madame Mayor," she said as she left. Belle once again turned to face her friends.

"All right, tell me everything," Belle said, eager to get the whole story.

It wasn't long after lunch when Neal woke up. Belle, Mulan, Philip, and Aurora were waiting for him when he did. Neal immediately frowned and sat up.

"I have to say, this isn't exactly the group of people I expected to wake up to," Neal admitted. His eyes circled around the room. "You're Belle right? Or should I call you Lacey? Either way it's nice to know my father still doesn't have the courage to face me," he said, bitterly sarcastic.

"My name is Belle, and your father isn't in Storybrooke," Belle admitted quietly. Neal immediately detected something different about the young woman and knew something was wrong.

"Where is he? Where's Emma and Henry?" Neal asked. He knew they should be here. Belle sighed.

"Henry was kidnapped by Greg and Tamara. Emma and Rumple went with Emma's parents, Regina, and Hook to find him. That was almost a week ago," Belle said. Mulan and the others walked out to give the two some privacy.

"Where did they go?" Neal asked after a moment, slowly digesting the information. Belle could see the anguish in his eyes. She regretted telling Neal, but Belle knew he had to know.

"We don't know," Belle admitted.

"What...what do you mean you don't know?" Neal asked, starting to sound desperate. In that moment the man in front of her reminded Belle so much of his father.

"They're in another realm. Greg and Tamara took Henry through a portal, and the others followed using the last bean. I don't know which realm they went to," Belle explained. "What I do know is that they will find Henry, and they will find us if we don't find them first," she added, offering a small smile. Neal stayed silent, not sure what to say.

"Is everything all right in here?" Whale asked, popping his head in the door. It didn't take long for him to notice the solemn atmosphere. "I'll come back later," he said, disappearing from view. Belle took another look at Neal.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but we will find them," Belle said with a fierce determination.

"How?" Neal asked. His voice wasn't full of anger or despair, instead sounding of curiosity and hope.

"We're growing more magic beans and working on a hat that can travel between realms. The beans should be ready in a few weeks, but the hat may be done sooner. Unfortunately, there are some downsides to the hat," Belle admitted.

"Go on," Neal said.

"The same number of people that go in the hat must come out so we can't use it to bring everyone back. Like I said earlier we don't even know what realm they're in, but I think you have solved our biggest problem. You see, one of the reasons I'm still here is because Rumple needed me to cast an enchantment, one that would prevent Storybrooke from being found. Obviously, that makes it difficult for them to find us as well, but the pendent you used to find us might allow them to find us," Belle explained.

"You want to use the hat to get a bean and the pendent to them," Neal concluded. Belle nodded.

"Yes, but I would like to use the hat as a means of communication until the beans are ready. I think everyone on that ship would like to know that you're alive," Belle said. Neal groaned.

"Crap, they do think I'm dead don't they?" Neal realized.

"We'll have to correct them won't we?" Belle said with a small smile.

"I'm terribly sorry Madame Mayor, but I'm afraid I need to talk to our patient," Whale said, walking into the room.

"Oh, go right ahead. I need to get our guests settled and the town straightened up," Belle said, taking her leave.

"That is not the girl I met a week ago," Neal noted after Belle left.

"That's because you met Lacey. The two couldn't be any more different," Whale said chuckling.

"What's the difference?" Neal asked, curious.

"Lacey came from the Queen awakening false memories in Belle after she lost her memories. Belle got her memory back the day the town almost got destroyed by the trigger," Whale said. Neal looked at him with a confused expression. Whale sighed. "Long story short, right around the time you disappeared Greg and Tamara set off something that could destroy Storybrooke until it was stopped, then they kidnapped Henry and the others chased after him," Whale quickly explained, checking Neal's vitals.

"Don't you people ever have a peaceful day?" Neal asked incredulously.

"Not since Emma came to town," Whale said chuckling.

"When do I get out of here?" Neal asked, eager to find his son and the woman he loved.

"We need to keep you a few days. You can leave earlier if you want the Blue Fairy to heal you, but Belle mentioned you might be opposed to magic after everything that happened with your father," Whale said.

"And she's right," Neal admitted.

"Well, everything looks good. Take it easy," Whale said as he started to leave.

"Doc?" Neal called and the doctor turned. "Tell Belle I want to talk to her. I want to know what happened, if my father has changed," he explained.

"I'll make sure she stops by," Whale said, leaving Neal alone.

"Hey, how is the hat coming?" Belle asked Jefferson as she relieved him of his shift.

"Really well. Mother Superior thinks we should be able to start using it in a few days," Jefferson said smiling.

"I suppose a few days is better than never," Belle admitted with a sigh.

"You think they might not have a few days," Jefferson stated. It wasn't a question.

"It's been a week. We have no idea how they're doing and they may need our help," Belle said.

"On their ship is the savior, the Dark One, the Evil Queen, a pirate captain, Prince Charming, and Snow White. If they need help I don't think we can help much," Jefferson pointed out.

"We can do more than you think," Belle argued. Jefferson smiled.

"And that's why you're in charge. You never give up. Have a good night," he said, leaving. Belle sat at the end of the pier and frowned, her own words coming to haunt her. She hadn't realized it had been about a week since they left, and the thought scared her.

"No, I will find you," Belle said resolutely, shaking off her doubts.

And so another day came to a close...

**Next time, Neal and Belle have a nice chat!**


	8. Chapter 8

_Day 7_

"You wanted to see me?" Belle asked as she entered the hospital room. Visiting hours were just beginning.

"Yeah. Take a seat, we may be here a while," Neal said, gesturing to a chair. Belle hesitantly sat down, a little nervous. "First I want to thank you for letting the Doctor treat me rather than magic," Neal said.

"I didn't think you would want magic after everything that's happened," Belle admitted, leaving her similar feelings unsaid.

"The doctor said I'll be in here a few more days, so I want to talk to you about something," Neal said, as uneager to talk about it as Belle was. Do the brave thing and bravery will follow Belle thought to herself.

"You want to know about your father," Belle said calmly.

"I want to know why my father spent so much time to find me when he was going to just ignore me when we returned," Neal said, keeping his voice level.

"Were you there when he made the phone call while I was in the hospital?" Belle asked, realizing that may be a good place to start. She frowned when she realized she didn't know what happened; why Rumplestiltskin had been on his death bed.

"Yeah," Neal said, not giving anything away.

"Then you remember how he told me that I made him want to go back to the best version him," Belle said and Neal nodded. "When the queen gave me memories as Lacey he was faced with a choice: lose me forever or give in to his dark side to please Lacey. He believed only True Love's kiss could restore my memories. What he wants more than anything is to have you back again, and to do that he needed to be a good man, the one he feels I make him. What he did was wrong and you have every right to be angry with him, but please believe me when I say that that isn't who he is," Belle pleaded.

"And just what do you know about who he is?" Neal asked bitterly.

"I know that beneath it all he's a good man, despite everything he's done. He spent centuries with the one goal of finding you, a goal he was willing to give up True Love to accomplish. Finding you is all he's thought about, but now that he's found you he isn't sure what to do next. When he was told you were dead, do you know who he blamed? Himself. Not Greg, not Tamara, himself. And now he's off trying to save his grandson even with the knowledge that the boy is fated to be his undoing, and he doesn't think he'll be coming back. He knows the extent of his crimes and he knows it's past time for him to pay the price," Belle said quietly. Neal stayed quiet for a moment.

"I want my father back more than anything, but he's not that man anymore. He may show glimpses of that man, but his power means more to him than either us," Neal said bitterly. My power means more to me than you a voice said in Belle's head. She flinched.

"Not after realizing magic was the reason you died and why I lost my memory," Belle countered.

"He lost me once already because he magic and he hasn't changed," Neal argued fiercely.

"And how would you know that? Like you said, you two didn't talk much after you got back," Belle replied coolly, surprising herself with her audacity. Neal seemed surprised as well and chuckled.

"You're stubborn," he noted.

"As are you," Belle said, offering a small smile. "I'll tell you what, you can see for yourself if he's changed after we bring everyone home," Belle said.

"Deal. What can I do to help?" Neal asked sincerely.

"Right now all we can do is wait. Mother Superior is working on the hat and the beans have a few more weeks. Though, it would be really incredible if you happen to know where they are," Belle admitted. Neal thought for a moment.

"There is a realm I know, one where the leader is searching for a boy. Never mind, it can't be there, he was searching for the boy centuries ago," Neal said dismissively.

"Henry gets kidnapped and you know someone hunting for a boy in another realm? I think that's not a coincidence," Belle pointed out, and Neal realized he agreed.

"Well, for everyone's sake I hope I'm wrong. I think Henry's in Neverland," Neal admitted.

"What's so bad about Neverland?" Belle asked, her Lacey persona remembering the tales of Peter Pan.

"Peter Pan. The cuddly version in this world is nothing like the real thing," Neal explained grimly.

"All the more reason to find them as soon as possible. It sounds like you've been to Neverland," Belle noted.

"I spent a few centuries there," Neal admitted.

"Jefferson believes the hat will be capable of realm travel in a few days," Belle said.

"Good. That gives me time to get out of here so I can go," Neal said.

"Jefferson and I will be going as well," Belle said smiling.

"No offense, but can you fight? You aren't exactly built like a fighter," Neal pointed out. Belle smirked.

"Why don't you ask Mulan or Philip what I can do?" Belle suggested.

"Neverland is dangerous," Neal warned.

"So is falling in love with the Dark One," Belle countered and Neal chuckled. "Well, I really need to get going. The day before you showed up some cars appeared at the town line. We think they're connected to Greg and Tamara and they haven't made their way in here yet, but we can't take any chances," Belle said standing to leave.

"Best of luck," Neal said.

"Get well soon. I'm sorry our first meeting went like it did," Belle apologized.

"Me too," Neal said sincerely. With that, Belle left and made her way to the town line. This time, Ashley and Sydney were keeping watch.

"Hey, how is everything going?" Belle asked.

"They still haven't found us yet. It seems the enchantment was powerful indeed," Sydney said.

"It's been pretty uneventful. A new car arrived today, but it looks like they are just waiting," Ashley elaborated.

"Thank you for the update. Ruby knows to contact me immediately if anything changes," Belle said, now making her way to the bean field. Mulan, Philip, and Aurora were with the dwarves, dressed as Storybrooke citizens.

"Good afternoon sister. You here to help?" Leroy asked. Belle laughed.

"If you want me to. I'm mostly here to check up on the beans and our guests," Belle admitted.

"Well, they're sorta like you, completely clueless about technology but willing to work," Leroy said.

"They'll pick it up pretty quickly," Belle said confidently.

"Hey, Belle!" Philip called, noticing her for the first time. Belle grinned.

"Hey, how are you three?" Belle asked.

"We're still still getting used to how things work, but it's nice not having to wear dresses every day," Aurora said, doing her part to help.

"I see you've discovered blue jeans," Belle noted with a smile.

"Is that what they're called?" Mulan asked. Belle chuckled.

"Remind me to give you three a crash course in how this world works sometime. I know how it feels to be completely clueless," Belle said sympathetically.

"Oh no you don't. You're already doing too much, so let one of us handle it. We can talk why we work," Leroy said stubbornly causing Belle to laugh.

"Yes sir," she teased. "Just a few more weeks until the beans are ready right?" Belle asked.

"Yeah sister," Leroy said.

"Well, have fun," Belle said smiling as she continued on her errands. At the end of the day she found Jefferson waiting at the dock like she did every day. "Good evening," she greeted.

"Good evening Madame Mayor," Jefferson replied with a smile. "I think they've finished the library. Are you planning on moving back in?" he asked.

"Yes, tomorrow actually," Belle said smiling.

"Then may your shift pass quickly," Jefferson said as he left. Belle took her place by the end of the pier and watched the horizon.

And so another day came to a close...

**Next time, Archie returns!**


End file.
